


Cursed

by kelina00



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Lucius Malfoy's A+ Parenting, M/M, Malfoy Manor, Romantic Soulmates, Sectumsempra (Harry Potter), Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25554934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelina00/pseuds/kelina00
Summary: Draco has never felt more entranced by an individual than at that moment.The blond could feel his heart aching, his chest inflamed just as it has been since the moment he had woken up.Was that Potter? Was he that what he was feeling this entire day? Entire week? Entire year?  He wasn’t sure anymore if the itch started today.As he stared into Potter’s eyes it felt like this single moment was predestined and he had always felt an ache inside of him.Soul Mate AU where words of your soul mate's appear on your body after a life-changing event.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 60





	Cursed

Draco reached up to scratch his chest for the nth time that day. 

“Stop it,” Pansy slapped his hand away. “You’ve been driving me mad doing that!”

He would have sneered at her if not for the incessant urge to chase away the itch. He felt as though something was waiting to be ripped open from the inside. It was the only thing he could think about all day. 

It started this morning when it was nothing more of a tickle. Draco didn’t think anything of it. It was probably the guilt of what he had done the previous day rising up. He woke up and tried to get dressed without thinking about the damned necklace. He was halfway through tying his shoes before the image of Katie’s cursed face flashed behind his eyes. 

“Fuck!” He yelled and threw his dragon-hide oxfords at the wall. 

_Those were expensive._ He chastised himself. _What would mother think?_

He sighed and rubbed his face as he stomped into the bathroom. He gripped the sink so hard his knuckles started to whiten. He pulled away when the pain in his hands became too much and opened the bathroom mirror to take out his toothbrush. Usually, the wizard would spell a cleaning charm for his teeth but lately, he’s become afraid of any type of magic. At that thought, Draco slammed the cabinet closed only to see his gaunt face in the mirror. 

He cursed at himself, at the reflection who he did not recognize, at Katie Bell who opened the cursed box, at batty Dumbledore, at his selfish father, and at the cruel world he was living in. He knew the cursed necklace was a longshot, but it was the easiest and most indirect way to...do it.

Merlin, he couldn’t even say it. He couldn’t even say he needs to **murder** his headmaster. Who is, keep in mind, one of the most powerful wizards in the wizarding world. Draco may think of him as a batty fool but knows the headmaster is a formidable force of nature. 

_Which is why this task is so impossibly stupid!_ Draco thinks as he spits his toothpaste in the sink. _It’s a suicide mission. You’re going to die no matter what you do._

The blond finishes brushing his hair back, not bothering to gel or style it. He’s aware of how horrid he looks. Even Pansy and Blaise give him shit about his appearance, which isn’t new but he knows they are worried for him. 

Draco looks at himself again in the mirror, studying the boy in front of him. The first thing he sees is the eye bags, dark and purple, clinging onto those dead grey eyes. His skin is in even worse condition as he usually prided himself in his glowing pale, unblemished complexion. Now he resembles a cousin to the Bloody Baron with how translucent he looks.  
Draco takes another moment to look at himself before he splashes water against the mirror washing away what he didn’t want to see anymore. 

The rest of the day went by in a haze to the young Slytherin. He could hardly pay attention to any of the lectures as the looming dread of what’s to come rang over his mind. 

“Draco, dear, I don’t mean to be a bore, but at least pretend to pay attention to what Binns has to say.” He heard Pansy say as she poked his side. 

He shot her a small smile, “I’m sorry, my love, I was too busy staring at your gorgeous face. However can I pay attention to class when you sit next to me?”

Pansy rolled her eyes at his words, “That would have worked on me by anyone except your flaming self, my dear.” She whispered back. 

It was his turn to roll his eyes. Trust Pansy to call him out like that so casually. 

The bored Slytherin propped his elbow on the table and took a glance around the room, noting that half the class was practically asleep due to Binns’ incessant droning. He chuckled when he saw Granger not-to-inconspicuously try to wake the Weasel up. Even he knew that the redhead is a lost cause when it came to academics. He watched her struggle to keep Weasel awake until he grew bored with their antics. 

Then, his eyes landed on Potter, who seemed to be awake but still not paying attention. His back was straight and he was drumming his hands on the table in front of him. He also repeatedly kept running his hands through his already messy hair, which Draco knew meant the Chosen One was deep in thought. Not that he memorized Potter’s mannerisms to know what they meant, he’s just picked up a few things in the midst of their rivalry. 

He scoffed at that, “their rivalry”, it seems so trivial now since the War has picked up. Draco doesn’t have the time nor the energy to care for Potter’s jabs and taunts. Although the Slytherin was tired of fighting, he did miss the competitive streak he had with the Gryffindor. He missed seeing those green eyes light up with fury with just a few words from Draco’s mouth and he missed the way Potter would shove him on the Quidditch pitch. 

He felt his cheeks burned at the thought of Potter touching him, he could feel how strong he was, the way his hands would grip his body, the way Draco thought about Potter reaching down and-

He shook his head and scowled. He didn’t have time for this...whatever it should be called. He isn’t sure if it should be called a crush or infatuation or something that explained his inexplicable feelings about Potter. 

With those thoughts, the pain in his chest from this morning grew. He didn’t even notice he was already trying to scratch away the itch burning through him until he saw the redness from underneath his shirt. He scowled again, looking down at the raised skin. 

Draco lifted his head up to look at Potter again only to see the dark-haired Gryffindor was already staring at him. However, he wasn’t looking at Draco’s face.  
The blond tracked his gaze to his left forearm. He flinched when he noticed the tail end of the Mark peeking out from his white shirt and hastily yanked it down. 

Draco felt the itch in his chest grow even more as he felt green eyes bore into his skull. Potter has no proof of the monstrosity that laid underneath his clothes, but both knew it was still there. He furiously started to scratch the itch again. He felt as though he couldn’t breathe. The ceaseless itch in his chest, the searing shame from his left arm, the furious gaze from Potter, it was all too much. Draco started to breathe erratically as he scratched harder and harder. 

“Darling, are you feeling alright?” Draco felt himself freeze as he heard Pansy’s concerned words. He let out a deep sigh as the endless cycle of his thoughts was broken.  
He opened his mouth to answer her when he heard Binns dismiss the class. He hurriedly started packing up his stuff to leave for the Great Hall. He didn’t want her to start nagging about his odd behavior. 

“Draco!” Pansy yelled as he marched down the hallway. “Don’t ignore me!” He sighed, closing his eyes as he knew she wouldn’t stop until he answered.  
Pansy huffed when she saw him slow down. “What is wrong with you today?” She asked when she finally caught up with him. 

He ignored her and kept walking down the corridor. He wasn’t even sure what was wrong with him. While he was caught up in his head, Pansy seized his arm and pulled him to the side of the hallway. “What the fuck is with you, Draco?” Pansy questioned him. “You’ve been fidgeting all day!”

Draco reached up to scratch his chest for the nth time that day. 

“Stop it,” Pansy slapped his hand away. “You’ve been driving me mad doing that!”

“It’s been driving you mad? How do you think I feel, Pans?” Draco waved his hands around. “I feel like I’m going to die if this...thing doesn’t go away!”

Pansy peered down at the red skin peeking underneath his collarbone and furrowed her brows, “Has it been like this all day?”

Draco rolled his eyes, “Yes! Were you not just complaining about me annoying your perfect self all day?!”

Pansy eyes lit up at his response which both confused and scared him. He loved Pansy very dearly, but she meddled far too much in his life.  
“Draco do you know what this means? It’s your soul mark!”

“Oh, not this Pans…”

“Yes! This, Draco!” She practically squealed. “It’s developing! I heard Daphne had the worst itch on her ankle right before she got her words! I wonder if you already know the person like Daphne did, wouldn’t that be so exciting?!” She jumped up and down as she clasped his hands with hers.

Her excitement was contagious but luckily he hid his smile. Although it was a sweet thought that she believed he was going to meet his soul mate, Pansy was delusional and a hopeless romantic. And he told her that.

She pinched his arm, “I’m being serious, Draco! This could be it! You could get your words soon! It’s what every human being on this planet waits for!”  
He laughed mirthlessly at that, “Pansy, now you’re exaggerating! I’m sure it’s just some deity punishing me for being me.”

Her happy expression turned into a frown quickly. Draco cursed at himself for ruining the fun moment. 

Pansy gently grabbed his arm, “Draco, you know you can tell me anything. Or even talk to Blaise. Just talk to someone!” She pleaded. “We know something is going on. And if it’s your father again-” Draco flinched at that.

She looked at him with worried eyes, “If it’s your father again, please let me know. We can help you Draco!”  
He pulled out of her grasp, pushing her away from him.

“Nobody can help me, Pansy! So just leave me alone!”

She tried to take his arm again, pleading Draco to tell her what was going on but he recoiled away. He was too disgusting and irredeemable to ask for help. He was too far gone for redemption. The Slytherin decided to head to the Great Hall, ignoring Pansy’s calls of his name. He wasn’t worried about her following him, he knew Pansy would leave him be until he came back to the common room.

As he neared the Great Hall, the pain in his chest grew. He was now convinced that some higher being was cursing him to damnation over what he had done. Draco would just rather have whatever god kill him than endure another minute of itching. He leaned against a wall and put his hand on his sternum to catch his breath. 

_I feel like those muggle-borns who use those barbaric devices to help them breathe._ He thought to himself and laughed. 

After a moment of composure, the blond put his head high and marched to the Great Hall. 

As he walked through the doors, he noticed Potter standing at the end of the Gryffindor table. The pureblood tried to seem disinterested as Potter obviously was with some delusional fan and Draco had much bigger problems than keeping up with Potter’s gossip. However, listening never hurt anybody. 

“Just tell me who it was!” Draco heard as he strutted towards the Slytherin table. His chest started to feel inflamed as he eavesdropped. 

“I don’t remember who cursed me, Harry!”

Draco’s stomach dropped. It wasn’t a crazed fan Potter was talking to. He snapped his eyes up and saw Katie Bell, still looking sickly after being in the hospital for a number of days.

 _Because of you,_ his mind reminded him. _She was cursed by you, you blithering idiot! Of course, she looks ill you nearly killed her!_

Panic rose in his stomach as Katie made eye contact with him over the Gryffindor’s shoulders. Katie might not have been able to remember who attacked her before but she sure as hell did when she spotted Draco. The fear and recognition in her eyes were undeniable.

Potter obviously saw the way Katie froze when he walked in and turned around, pinning Draco where he was with his glare. And Draco did the only thing he could think of. 

He ran. He did the cowardly thing and ran. He turned around almost immediately when he Potter locked eyes with him. The Slytherin ran down multiple twists and turns, not sure where his legs were taking him. All he knew was he needed to get away. Away from Potter, away from his father, away from the Dark Lord. Draco ran, blood pumping so hard in his ears that he didn’t hear another set of footsteps chasing after him. His legs finally led him to an empty bathroom and he collapsed next to a sink. He felt his chest was caving in as he took a shuddering breath. He barely noticed the tears streaming down his face and hugged his knees close to his body.

“Oh Merlin, he’s going to kill me!” Draco whispered to himself. He wasn’t sure who he was talking about at the moment. “He’s gonna kill me, I’m going to die! I can’t do this anymore!” He sobbed.

He started thinking about his poor mother and cried even harder at the thought of her being left alone if he fails. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry!” He wept repeatedly to no one. 

He wasn’t sure how long he was in there crying until he heard footsteps. He shakily stood up, grasping for his wand as he waited for another sound. 

“I know what you did, Malfoy!” Draco gasped when Potter appeared from behind a pillar. He backed away from him bumping into the sink. Potter growled, “I know that you gave Katie that cursed necklace! You nearly killed her!”

Draco winced, unable to say anything as the words were caught in his throat, the burning in his chest rising.

“I know that you’re a Deatheater, Malfoy! Don’t think I didn’t notice your little Mark in class today!” Potter yelled as he whipped his wand out.

Draco stared at Potter and saw what people both feared and revered as the Chosen One. His eyes were flashing green with flames of rage, disgust, and most likely hatred. His stance was powerful. Almost like a panther waiting to strike at any moment as the tension increased and increased until he will pounce. Draco felt like being in the mere presence of this frenzied Harry Potter would bring anybody, even the Dark Lord, to his knees.

Draco has never felt more entranced by an individual than at that moment. 

The blond could feel his heart aching, his chest inflamed just as it has been since the moment he had woken up.  
Was that Potter? Was he that what he was feeling this entire day? Entire week? Entire year? Entire life?

He wasn’t sure anymore if the itch started today. As he stared into Potter’s eyes it felt like this single moment was predestined and he had always felt an ache inside of him.  
It scared Draco more than anything to feel something like fate so close that he could taste it. His body felt both too big and too small as he felt his heart clench in pain. 

The Gryffindor seemed to be waiting for Draco to make the first move, studying his every moment as if Draco was the wild animal, not Potter.

Anger rose inside of the blond. How dare Potter regard him in such a manner? It didn’t matter what feelings he had for him, Potter shouldn’t be meddling with Draco’s business. Draco raised his wand to throw a spell at Potter.

“ **Sectumsempra!** ” 

Draco didn’t even get to think of the hex he was going to throw at Potter before he cursed him. And for a moment, the never-ending itch finally departed before the pain took over Draco’s entire being.  
And if Draco thought the ache from earlier was bad, it was nothing compared to this. He dropped to the wet bathroom floor, already staining it red with how fast he was bleeding out. He felt as though he was being sliced apart by millions of knives. 

The pain became too much and Draco began to cry out, desperately begging for the bleeding to stop. He just wanted it to be over.

“Oh God!” He heard Potter wail. “Malf- _Draco_ , I’m so sorry!” 

He tried to talk, to tell Potter that it was okay, that this was _better_. But he started choking on his own tears, or blood, he wasn’t sure anymore. 

Potter sobbed harder as he heard Draco unintelligible garbling, “Please don’t die! I’m sorry!” The Gryffindor tried to stop the bleeding by putting pressure on the wounds, but there were too many and Draco seemed to bleed endlessly.  
“Somebody help!” Potter screamed as he realized there was nothing he could do. “Please help, oh God!”

Draco felt Potter grabbing his face to look at him.

“Draco…” He could hear Potter say but it felt far away. “Draco I-”

He felt himself give a small smile, glad to finally hear Potter say his name and see his green eyes one last time before giving into the darkness. 

When Draco awoke, he was expecting to see some God curse him to eternal damnation, not the tired eyes of his godfather. 

“Severus?” He hoarsely whispered.

The potions professor took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again to look at Draco.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again, Draco.” He voiced. “You nearly didn’t make the night.”

Draco took a glance around, seeing the white beds and large windows. He was at the hospital wing. He opened his mouth to talk but Severus raised his hand. 

“Don’t speak, you need to save your energy. As I said, you barely made the night. I managed to stop the wounds and leave as little scarring as possible. However,” His eyes turned dark. “there is...something... you should look at your chest after you recover. Please, Draco, try not to panic. I hope to see you in potions this Monday.”  
Severus turned around, his robes billowing behind him, and left. 

At his godfather’s words, Draco began to panic. He tried to sit upon the bed, but he was too weak. Instead, he started ripping at the bandages that covered his upper torso. 

“Mr. Malfoy!” He froze when he heard Madam Pomfrey’s screech. She stomped over to his bed and stopped him from touching any more of the bandages. “Now I know you want these off, but you’re still healing. You’ll be back in no time this Monday, but for now, you need to lay here and rest.” 

She gave him some pain potion and what he thinks to be a scar tissue healing potion, he knows Severus’ potion-making far too well.  
It seems she also gave him a sleeping draught because he could feel himself slowly shutting his eyes and resting his head against the cool pillow. 

Draco woke again as he felt sunlight streaming in from the window in front of his bed. He also heard the loud chatter of students from outside which meant it was Monday. 

He jolted up when he realized he must have slept the entire weekend away. His chest still felt tender and sore but it was now a dull ache compared to when he first woke up with Severus. The blond slowly removed the blankets and got out of bed. He winced when he heard some of his bones and tendons crack. 

“Gross…” he mumbled as he stretched. He rubbed his chest and looked down, studying the bandages wrapped around his chest. He suddenly remembered what his godfather told him when he visited him and decided to take a look at the damage. He knew there was a mirror next to Madam Pomfrey’s office. 

Draco wobbled over to the other side of the room, still slightly loopy from the medication and sore. 

He finally got the mirror and scoffed when he saw how pathetic he looked. He shook his head and reached for his chest to finally see what laid beneath.  
As he unwrapped the bandages, his mind started to wander. What was it Severus tried to warn him about? Was it the scarring? Draco was prepared for that, the curse was far too powerful not to leave a mark. But his godfather made it seem like something else had happened which frightened Draco more than anything. 

He started unwrapping the bandages faster, practically throwing them to the ground as the layers began bunching up. When they were finally off, he stared down at his torso without looking at the mirror. There wasn’t any scarring, except for one decently large cut in the middle of his breastbone. He snorted. 

_This was what my godfather was so worked up about?_ He thought. _That I am so vain I would be upset over a simple scar?_

He raised his head to get a better look in the reflection and flinched something awful, causing him to fall on the cold ground. Eyes wide, Draco shakily crawled towards the mirror, staring directly at his chest. 

His hands shook. There were words. There were words on his torso. Well, not words but A word. A single word that changed Draco’s life. He quivered as reached up to trace the raw lettering branding his skin. 

There, right above his heart, the curse “ **Sectumsempra** ” laid. 

Draco buried his face into his hands and cried.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time posting on here--i haven't written in forever but quarantine is making me go crazy!  
> anyways i hope you enjoyed this first chapter of my fic. if you're unsure what's going on, basically you get your soul mark whenever you and your soul mate go through a big event and the words appear where they touch you. in this case, draco got his. harry doesn't have his yet so you gotta wait ;)  
> hopefully this gets enough hits which will motivate me to keep writing lmao anyways enjoyyyy


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